Tvr Chimaera: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Tvr Chimaera passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 10 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 2,450 individual Tvr Chimaera tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 86.7% first-time pass rate means roughly 13 in every 100 Tvr Chimaeras presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is better than average, so a well-kept example is a reasonably safe used buy. The average Tvr Chimaera tested had covered 57,628 miles and was built around 1997.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Tvr Chimaera sits 10 points above the national average, ranked 1,119 of 2,005 models. On one bought as repairable salvage, the mechanical side is less likely to spring surprises, so your repair estimate should hold up reasonably well.

Before you bid: run the lot through the analyzer, check the car's own record, check the mileage, decode the VIN, and if it carries a marker use the write-off value calculator. Or compare it against another model.

Looking at a specific Tvr Chimaera rather than the model in general? The free check covers its MOT and mileage history, and the full HPI report confirms the insurance write-off category, outstanding finance and whether it is recorded stolen, from licensed data for 5 credits. Already own one that has been damaged? Work out whether fixing it beats selling it with the repair or scrap calculator, and see recorded closing bids for damaged Tvr Chimaeras at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Tvr Chimaera

1. Stop lamps all missing or inoperative, 0.9% of tests (10.39x the national rate for this defect)
2. Emissions levels exceed the manufacturer's specified limits, 2% of tests (7.51x the national rate for this defect)
3. Emissions levels exceed default limits, 2.2% of tests (6.23x the national rate for this defect)
4. Audible warning inoperative, 0.8% of tests (2.9x the national rate for this defect)
5. Emissions test unable to be completed, 1% of tests (2.38x the national rate for this defect)
6. Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 1.3% of tests (1.76x the national rate for this defect)
7. Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer, 0.9% of tests (1.68x the national rate for this defect)
8. Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 1.8% of tests (1.35x the national rate for this defect)
9. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 2.5% of tests
10. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 1.6% of tests

From 2,450 DVSA-tracked Tvr Chimaera tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 3.08% of these flagged Tvr Chimaera defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Tvr Chimaera

An advisory doesn't fail the car - the tester flags it as worth watching, but it still passes. A different list from the failures above: what testers are noting on a Tvr Chimaera before it actually fails on it.

1. Power steering fluid leaking or system malfunctioning, 1% of tests (4.23x the national rate for this advisory)
2. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 14.4% of tests (2.6x the national rate for this advisory)
3. A shock absorber bush excessively worn, 0.7% of tests (1.46x the national rate for this advisory)
4. Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced, 1.7% of tests (1.35x the national rate for this advisory)
5. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 4.2% of tests
6. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 3.8% of tests
7. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 3.6% of tests
8. A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded, 3.4% of tests
9. A tyre seriously damaged, 3.3% of tests
10. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 2.4% of tests

From 2,450 DVSA-tracked Tvr Chimaera tests, 2024.

Tvr Chimaera pass rate by model year

From its 1996 to its 1999 model year, the Tvr Chimaera's first-time pass rate has fallen 1.2 points, from 88.1% to 86.9%, an unusual pattern where even its newest years fail more than its oldest. First-time pass rate for each Tvr Chimaera year:

• 1995 Tvr Chimaera - 84.3% first-time pass, 235 tests
• 1996 Tvr Chimaera - 88.1% first-time pass, 303 tests
• 1997 Tvr Chimaera - 90.3% first-time pass, 391 tests
• 1998 Tvr Chimaera - 89.6% first-time pass, 570 tests
• 1999 Tvr Chimaera - 86.9% first-time pass, 426 tests

Other Tvr models

• Tvr Tuscan - 93.2%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Land Rover Range Rover Velar - 86.7%
• Peugeot Rifter - 86.7%
• BMW 330e Se Pro Auto - 86.7%
• Land Rover R Rover Evoque R-Dyn S D 4x2 - 86.7%
• BMW 8 Series - 86.7%
• Volkswagen Transporter T32 Highline Tdi - 86.7%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• What does Cat N mean? Category N explained
• What does Cat S mean? Category S explained
• Cat S vs Cat N: the real differences
• Do you need an HPI check on a car you know is a write-off?

Embed this data

Run a site about the Tvr Chimaera? Embed the real DVSA pass-rate badge free, linked back to this page.

<a href="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/mot/tvr-chimaera"><img src="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/badge/tvr-chimaera.svg" width="340" height="92" alt="Tvr Chimaera MOT Pass Rate: 86.7% - Salvage Prophet"></a>

Run a garage or parts site? Embed the Tvr Chimaera's top real failure reason instead, linked back here.

<a href="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/mot/tvr-chimaera"><img src="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/badge/failure/tvr-chimaera.svg" width="340" height="106" alt="Tvr Chimaera most common MOT failure: Stop lamps all missing or inoperative (0.9% of tests) - Salvage Prophet"></a>

All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate